Canola Farmers Worried About Bayer-Monsanto Merger

Manitoba Co-Operator

PinP photo.

The fear is the new company’s market power will result in higher seed prices and less innovation unless regulators order some divestiture of assets. STORY HERE.

Superbug Explosion Triggers UN General Assembly Meeting

Scientific American

A confined animal feeding operation. "Unnecessary or incorrect antibiotic use in...agricultural production has worsened the problem." USGS photo.

Several times a week Brad Spellberg struggles with a difficult decision. A patient stumbles into his emergency room in southern California suffering from familiar symptoms: pressure when she urinates, pain in her side, fever and nausea. Based on these clues Spellberg can quickly diagnose the problem as a kidney infection, but the trouble lies in deciding what he should do next. He knows the patient is hurting and of course he wants to help, but more than his patient’s health hangs in the balance. Story here.

Indonesia's Illegal Deforestation Fires Killed Over 100,000: Study

CommonDreams  

Indonesian forests being burned for agriculture. NASA satellite image.

Illegal fires used to deforest land for palm oil and pulpwood plantations are raging again today. Story here.

Hesitance to Link Some Weather Events to Climate Change 'No Longer Appropriate'

inside

climate

news

Baton Rouge in Aug. USDA photo

Fast study showed climate change's influence on Louisiana's devastating floods. The method is being used to more quickly assess some types of extreme weather. Story here.

The Monsanto–Bayer Tie-Up is Just One of Seven Mega-Mergers That Threaten Seeds, Food Security

etc

              GROUP

Organic hemp seed. PinP photo.

Policymakers could still block the agri biz mergers; peasants and farmers will continue the fight for seeds and rights. Story here.

Media Silent as Two States Declare State of Emergency Due to Pipeline Spill

Nation of Change

A major fuel pipeline ruptured this week in Shelby County, Alabama, prompting both Alabama and Georgia to declare state emergencies. Yet, other than local media outlets, the mainstream media has been curiously silent about the situation. Story here.

Technoparc: A Unique Wetland Area of Montreal - Home to Over 80 Nesting Species of Birds Faces an Uncertain Future

Sierra Club Canada

Wildlife similar to this Great Blue Heron inhabit "Technoparc." 

PinP photo

Imagine a wetland area that is home to over 80 nesting species including herons, raptors, songbirds and ducks. Then imagine it in the middle of a Technoparc on the Island of Montreal, a few miles west of downtown and just east of the Trudeau Airport. Story here.